First-Class Private Riverside Baths for Kanreki and other Extraordinary Occasions

Special occasions deserve celebration at a Japanese ryokan. Think private indoor and outdoor baths and meals of exquisite locally foraged mountain vegetables and freshly caught fish that you savor within view of the meandering Arakawa River. This is Takanosukan in Sekigawa Town, Niigata.

The service was impeccable. Staff artfully placed gourmet dishes on a solid wooden table in the dining area of our exclusive onsen bungalow. They arrived and departed with deep polite bows. We listened to the river sing while eating. I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate turning sixty than this splendid and romantic night alone with my wife.

After all, turning sixty is a once-in-a-lifetime event that the Japanese call kanreki. Reaching sixty means that a person has gone through five cycles of the Chinese Zodiac. Some view kanreki as a rebirth. That is a fitting idea for my life.  For me, a hot spring bath is a healing womb that refreshes, revitalizes, and restores me to a younger and more positive being. 

Being reborn

Others think of kanreki as a return to being an infant. Typical gifts for those celebrating kanreki include red clothes to symbolize the red skin of a baby. My wife gifted me with an opportunity to turn my skin red through immersion in mineral-infused hot water. Whether I am becoming a child again or becoming senile, a great bath is a moment to treasure.

 

The name of the onsen,Takanosu, translates as eagle's nest. A local legend says a hunter spotted an eagle soaking an injured wing in a natural hot spring at this location. While soaking, we did hear the screeches of raptors and spotted two eagles flying above us. Perhaps, this picture, taken from the top of a nearby mountain, shows what the eagles saw as they flew by. The onsen bungalow that we rented is the second from the left. Do you see the suspension bridge? Guests cross that bridge to enter the secluded property, adding to the atmosphere of being separated from the rest of the world.

Before, after, or between soaks, one can stroll trails that lead along the river's edge and some that encircle a nearby campground. I spotted fishers in mid-river. We gathered mountain vegetables (called sansai in Japanese) to take home. Some of the dishes included mushrooms and vegetables that the workers collect each day.

For me, though, the greatest pleasure was bathing, soaking, bathing, soaking, and repeating the process while switching between the indoor and the outdoor bath. Every time was different. As day shifted into night and morning woke us up, the sounds of the river changed, the lighting differed, and I was both older and reborn.

This glorious birthday celebration cost approximately three hundred dollars, which included two gourmet meals. This was a special price offered during the pandemic. I do not know what the price would be during normal years. I was more than satisfied by the perfect service, the mouth-watering dishes prepared with the best local ingredients, the size and quality of the rooms and furnishings, and the private atmosphere. 

Another wonderful hot spring ryokan in Niigata that also offers river views, hiking, luxury, and gourmet meals prepared with mountain vegetables is Rankeisou.